In each issue of Paprika Southern, we identify three emerging or established makers, artists, entrepreneurs, or creatives to profile in our Creative South feature. This feature was conceived of as a way to share the stories of the creatives who are doing amazing things in our region. Through this feature, Siobhan and I, along with the other contributors who work with us on this section (including Blair, Hadley, and Monica), have had the opportunity to meet and connect with so many exciting and creative souls. Makers are where our hearts are, and this feature is a huge part of what fuels Paprika Southern.
Today we’re sharing a guide to all the individuals and businesses profiled in Creative South this year, complete with links to their websites and Instagrams as applicable. This is a great resource all year round to explore southern makers, and with the holidays approaching, we think it’s also a great resource for holiday shopping!
Speaking of holiday shopping ;), we recently opened pre-orders for our Winter 2018 issue. You can pre-order or become a subscriber to reserve your copy now.
Now, on to the makers!
Click on a photo or maker name to visit their website.
Element Clay Studio | Handmade Ceramic Goods
As seen in Paprika Southern Spring 2018 Issue
Written by Blair Wagner / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
“I saw a pottery wheel when I was five years old,” says Heather Knight. “I don’t know whose it was or where I was, but it sparked something in me.” This memory was the defining moment that ignited Heather's love for ceramics. This passion followed her in life and eventually led to her opening Element Clay Studio.
Before owning her own studio, Heather was juggling multiple occupations. For a while, Heather balanced having a clay residency, teaching ceramics at a museum school, and serving in restaurants. She finally decided to change direction, focus on her personal work, and fully pursue ceramics.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Spring 2018
CheFarmer Matthew Raiford | Southern farm to table Chef
As seen in Paprika Southern Spring 2018 Issue
Written by Blair Wagner / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
When Paprika Southern first met Matthew Raiford and Jovan Sage last spring, they were making their mark in the Brunswick, Georgia food scene with their restaurant, The Farmer & The Larder.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Spring 2018
Daughter HANDWOVENs | fibers artist
As seen in Paprika Southern Spring 2018 Issue
Written by Bevin Valentine Jalbert / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
In Alexandra Forby’s Savannah studio, strands of cotton and linen are woven together in intricate patterns to form throw pillows, tea towels, and other handwoven goods. The sound of the 36-inch, four-shaft loom that Alexandra operates resounds in organized cacophony and the process is surprisingly physical.
Weaving is an ancient art, and Alexandra, owner of Daughter Handwovens, loves the tradition it represents.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Spring 2018
cameron kruse designs | jewelry maker
As seen in Paprika Southern Summer 2018
Written by Bevin Valentine Jalbert / Photographed by Monica Farber
Handcrafted, worn daily is the tagline, and concept, behind Cameron Kruse Lester’s jewelry brand, Cameron Kruse Designs.
“I strive to make pieces a woman can wear on a daily basis,” says Cameron, “but is still something unique and handcrafted that you wouldn’t find in your big box store.”
Cameron’s rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces are lightweight and comfortable for the wearer. Her line is populated with delicate sterling silver, gold-filled, and rose gold-filled pieces, with the occasional freshwater pearl or natural stone making an appearance. There is a simplicity, yet artistry, to the pieces, in the hand-hammered finishes, delicately wrapped wires, and detailed metal beading, that makes them compulsively wearable.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Summer 2018
Sage’s Larder | holisitic wellness
As seen in Paprika Southern Summer 2018
Written by Blair Wagner / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
“Everyone deserves an opportunity to heal, as well as to feel and experience pleasure,” says Jovan Sage. This philosophy was the driving force behind Brunswick, GA transplant Jovan’s creation of Sage’s Larder, her self-described “brainchild” that emphasizes health and wellness through deeper connections with food.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Jovan’s relationship with food stemmed from a childhood spent in farmer’s markets. Even after moving to Brooklyn, NY, Jovan constantly strived to stay close to fresh food, whether through visiting “green markets” or becoming an urban chicken-keeping apprentice.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Summer 2018
alice and pearl | handmade kitchen accessories
As seen in Paprika Southern Summer 2018
Written by Bevin Valentine Jalbert / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
Becky Prescott’s handmade business is infused with a vintage aesthetic that also reverberates throughout her appealingly curated home and personal style. The business is Alice and Pearl and Becky, the Savannah, GA-based sole proprietor, makes retro-inspired kitchen accessories for adults and children.
The aprons, oven mitts, potholders, and, the newest addition to her line, baby bibs ("baprons," as she calls them) are all completely handmade by Becky, using retro-inspired and vintage reproduction fabrics she sources far and wide. The printed patterns are lively, featuring motifs ranging from lemons to rotary phones to astronauts.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Summer 2018
pounce | cat cafe
As seen in Paprika Southern Fall 2018
Written by Bevin Valentine Jalbert / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
When Pounce Cat Café + Wine Bar opened in late 2016 in the heart of downtown Charleston, SC, it became the first cat café in the South. A concept popularized in larger cities like New York and Washington, DC, Pounce was immediately welcomed to the community by Charleston locals and tourists alike.
Owners Ashley Brooks and Annaliese Hughes met as students at College of Charleston and bonded over a mutual love for cats and Lady Gaga. After graduation Ashley found herself managing a new cat café opening in DC, and knew she wanted to return to Charleston to open a cat café herself. She proposed it to Annaliese, who pounced on the idea.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Fall 2018
taunya benton design | jewelry maker
As seen in Paprika Southern Fall 2018
Written by Blair Wagner / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
A high school prom was the catalyst that launched Taunya Benton’s career as a jewelry designer. “It was basically out of necessity...I couldn’t afford the jewelry that I wanted to wear, and that Tierra wanted to wear, and I made her a pair of earrings for prom,” says Taunya. That pair of earrings she created for her daughter’s special night ignited a passion for jewelry that would eventually become Taunya Benton Design.
Familial influence is a common theme in Taunya’s story. She credits the '70s era fashion of her mother and her aunts as creative inspirations. “I had very stylish family members, mostly women,” says Taunya. “The heavy chains and the gaudy jewelry, the rings on every finger...I just love that stuff.”
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Fall 2018
Two tides | micro-brewery
As seen in Paprika Southern Fall 2018
Written by Blair Wagner / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
For James and Liz Massey, the passage of a Georgia law changed everything. Senate Bill 85, also known as the “booze bill,” allows breweries and distilleries to sell directly to customers. It also allowed James and Liz to turn their passion for beer into Two Tides Brewing Co.
Even before opening Two Tides, James and Liz were beer enthusiasts. “I have always liked beer since college, and I liked cooking around the same time,” says James, who has been a homebrewer for 9 years. “Those two passions kind of melded together and I started homebrewing.”
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Fall 2018
tatiana cabral smith | jewelry maker
As seen in Paprika Southern Winter 2018
Written by Blair Wagner / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
For Tatiana Cabral Smith, a casual invitation to a jewelry making class from a friend turned into a newfound passion. “I signed up for the class with the City of Savannah, and I loved it right away,” says Tatiana. What began as a new hobby soon developed into her own company, Tatiana Cabral Smith’s Handmade Jewelry.
Initially, learning jewelry design was an activity to help conquer her anxiety. “I needed another coping mechanism,” says Tatiana. “I thought maybe I could do something with my hands.”
Although she had no prior experience with crafting jewelry, Tatiana’s innate talent was visible immediately. “Even during my first class, some of the things I made were being asked about,” she says. People increasingly began to request her creations.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Winter 2018
colas modern | artisan furniture
As seen in Paprika Southern Winter 2018
Written by Hadley Passela / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
For David and Lara Colas, the guiding principle of their Savannah-based design studio, Colas Modern, is family. Together the creatives are forging a modern legacy, which was born when Lara curated David’s senior show at Savannah College of Art and Design for Ashmore Gallery. At the time, David was completing his degree in Furniture Design. Lara, who is responsible for the sales and marketing of the brand, has known how they would be successful from the start: “We have always worked well together because that is how we started.”
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Winter 2018
peculiar abode | macrame artist
As seen in Paprika Southern Winter 2018
Written by Bevin Valentine Jalbert / Photographed by Siobhan Egan
Textured fiber art as decor has been a growing trend in the past few years, and Brunswick, GA-based maker Jess Austin’s freeform macramé creations have found their way into many southern homes since she started her business, Peculiar Abode, in 2015.
Jess fell in love with macramé before the trend had fully taken hold in coastal Georgia. As a self-taught macramé artist, she is drawn to that element that makes macramé a little different from traditional home decor, along with its inherent texture and the organic and asymmetric shapes of finished pieces.
Continue reading in Paprika Southern Winter 2018
